


The Broken Blade

by AydenSkuller



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, F/M, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Panic Attacks, Racism, Team as Family, fixing seasons 6-8 b/c they did my boy lotor so dirty
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-09
Updated: 2020-07-22
Packaged: 2021-03-05 00:47:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,258
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25155718
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AydenSkuller/pseuds/AydenSkuller
Summary: "Our identity has already been chosen for us; but it is up to us to accept it, or fight and change it."~Afnan Ahmad Mia(I suck at summaries so bear with me please...)When the Paladins of Voltron encountered a distress signal sent from an unknown planet, they encounter a mysterious human girl working with the Galra. When they recruit her to the team, they notice some stranger events occurring around the Castle of Lions as well as her refusal of giving information about her past. Is this girl as human as she seems and what is the haunting past she is keeping inside?
Kudos: 1





	1. The Stranger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This happens sort of at the start of Season 2. Thanks for reading!

After the disruption of the wormhole, courtesy of Haggar’s magic, the Paladins were scattered across the universe. Lance and Hunk had a fun time under the sea with mermaids, Pidge made friends with spare parts and space caterpillars. Keith and Shiro had a fun near-death experience and Allura had a fun time babysitting a gorgeous mustache baby. 

Thanks to their Altean allies, the Paladins of Voltron reunited to continue their journey to defeat the immortal Emperor Zarkon and bring peace to the universe. Now, our heroes were in their battle stations, waiting for the next life-threatening battle with the Galra. 

Lance let out a heavy sigh. 

"Ugh, I've never been more bored in my entire life except for the time I stayed up all night studying for flight exams." Lance yawned, stretching his lanky limbs.

“You studied?” Pidge raised an eyebrow while tinkering on the computer.

“Haha. Very funny Pidgeon.” 

Pidge stuck out her pinky and tongue. 

"We’ve been fighting small armies, it’s time to take our energy and head back to Zarkon," Keith urged. 

“I...don't think that’s such a good idea. Zarkon could take control of the Black Lion again.” Hunk pointed out. 

“And if we try to use the wormhole again while fighting Zarkon, Hagger could compromise it again. I might not be so lucky to bring you all back again.” Allura stated, walking into the room with Shiro. “Allura’s right. Besides, this is a good time to regroup and plan our next move. Coran, any Galra activity on the radar?" Shiro advised.  
  
“Nothing yet. Everything is as quiet as a -Jinkies! A distress signal.” Coran  
exclaimed.   
“From where?” Allura asked.

“From who?” Shiro questioned

“Did he just say ‘Jinkies’?” Hunk gave Pidge a questionable look.

“Oh, Lance taught me one of your Earthly expressions of astonishment,” Coran answered joyfully.

Everyone looks at Lance in disbelief.

“What? I thought it would be funny.” Lance shrugged his shoulders with a grin.

“The signal is coming from the planet Nallok. As I recall, it is a bustling small planet filled with a bunch of market shops and restaurants filled with gourmet food. Oooh! They even have those head garments that you can attach beverages on and drink through two transportation straws that go into your mouth!” Coran looked at the screen with excitement. 

“...You mean a drinking hat?” Pidge asked. 

“If they’re calling for help, that means the Galra are probably there wreaking havoc. We should go,” Shiro said. 

“I’ll open a wormhole then,” Allura announced as she walked toward the pillars. 

NALLOK

“There is a clear atmosphere so you should be able to venture outside safely. Oh, and if you happen to stumble upon those hats, I will gladly appreciate it!” Coran shouted as they exited the Castle of Lions. 

“Alright let’s go then.” Allura walked out of the side with her helmet in hand.

“Wait, you’re coming too, Allura?” Hunk questioned.

“Uh, don’t you remember what happened last time?” Keith pointed out. The last time Allura came with them, she was kidnapped by Zarkon.

“And I want to make up for that. Please, I’ll be careful this time. Besides, Coran can operate the ship without my help.” Allura pleaded with sparkly puppy eyes. 

Everyone looks at Shiro, hoping he would stay no.

“...Alright, but be careful and stay close.” Shiro reluctantly agreed. 

“Don’t worry Allura, stay close to me and I’ll protect you.” Lance flashed a twinkling smile at the Princess. Flashing a disgusting side-eye at the Blue Paladin, Allura started to go back into the ship. 

“You know what, I changed my mind. I think I’ll stay.” 

“Too late.” Lance pushed her out of the ship.

“Stay together. Coran said this place is full of people so it’s easy to get lost. Keep an eye out for any Galra activity.” Shiro instructed. 

As the Paladins and Princess head outside, they take in the scenery of Nallok. Most of the planet was covered in warehouses covered in colorful graffiti. Electronic music can be heard from some buildings. A few aliens littered the streets, animals dung into trash cans, and shops littered both sides of the walkway selling things such as spare parts to expensive shiny crystals. Yet, most of the shops had “closed” spray-painted in a variety of alien languages. Glaring eyeballs and eerie scowls stared at the heroes as they walked into town. 

“This seems like a friendly place.” Pidge cautiously looked around at the urban setting. 

“Coran said this place is supposed to be bustling with customers, so why is it that there is no one here?” Keith pointed out as they easily walked down the asphalt road. 

“Let’s ask this nice gentleman over here. Uh, excuse me, sir?” Hunk knocked on the wood to grab the owner’s attention. 

They walked up to a shop named “Borax’s Butcher Shop” where giant sacks of meat hung from the splintered wood. Behind the counter, a grumbling anthropomorphic warthog, cleaning his knife after chopping up some of his products. A toothpick stuck out the corner of his mouth, rolling along with his teeth. His apron was covered in blood and fat from the slaughtered. 

“What the quiznack you want, boy? I ain’t got all day.” He asked in a gruff voice with a country accent mixed in.   
  
“Such excellent customer service,” Lance whispered. 

“We tracked a distress signal that led us to this planet. We were wondering if you were the one who sent it out.” Allura questioned. 

“Distress signal?” Borax raised a bushy eyebrow.

“Yeah you know, a signal to use when you know when you are in distress,” Lance answered in a sarcastic tone.

“You must be the dumb one. Ain’t nobody around here would send out no signal. If they did, they would be a dead man.” Borax scanned the area with a menacing glare. 

“Why is that?” Shiro questioned. Just as he said that synchronized metallic footsteps could be heard stomping further down the road leading out to a labyrinth of streets and buildings. Galra soldiers marched in rhythm as a robed figure led the way into the square. Tension and anxiety spread around the market area as the Galran soldiers surrounded the area, weapons in hand.

The figure stopped in the middle of the streets and signaled for the soldiers to take a position in case of a rebellion. “You know the drill by now folks: Hands up, cash out! No funny business.” The stranger called out into the crowd. Every store owner reluctantly took out bags containing GAC (Galra Authorized Currency) and each soldier took the bags and placed them in a large bag. 

“Quick, pop a squat and hide!” Borax urged, opening the door to the shop. He opened a closet for them to hide from sight and pulled out a bag filled with GAC. 

“Customers used to come from all ‘round before the Big Man showed up. He started assignin’ us piles of debt that would take an entire lifetime to pay back. Whatever we made, he would take 95% of the revenue.” Borax explained as he counted the silver coins. 

“So is that the Big Man?” Keith asked. 

“That there fella is his little pet debt collector and bounty hunter. Whoever made the least amount would have the audience with the boss. If ya don’t have the coin....” Borax placed his till on the bloody counter and raised his hoofed hands in the air. 

“You’ll pay with ya life.” Borax finished. 

“We have to stop this,” Allura demanded, pushing her way out of the closet. 

“Allura wait!”

Pidge grabbed her arm to stop her and pointed out a commotion happening across from the butcher shop. At Palax’s Emporium, the stranger loomed over a merchant whose children coward behind their father in fear. 

“N-N-No, please! Business has been a bit slow these days, but I-I-I can get you the GAC you need. Tell General Huxus I need a few more days.” Palax begged the stranger. 

“Sorry buddy, I don’t make the rules. If you have a complaint I suggest you make an appointment and talk to Commander Fuzzbutt about it. You can take your little munchkins with you.” The stranger offered as the soldier handcuffed the alien and knocked him on the back of the head to make him walk. 

“Papa!” One of the children cried, trying to pull their father from the ground. 

“Let’s move people! Daylight’s wasting and the Big Boss hates tardiness.” The stranger urged, leading the way out of the market square.

“They’re not getting away with this!” Keith rushed out of the closet and into the street.

“Mullet! Get back here!” Lance cried out, following behind him with the rest of the group.

“Hey! You think you can just stroll in here and take these people's hard-earned money for yourselves.” Keith yelled at the stranger’s back.

“Uh...yeah. And what are you going to do about it, tough guy?” The stranger asked, not turning to face their opponent. 

“You better get ya boy,” Borax warned.

Sword in hand, the Red Paladin charged at the cloaked figure and within a few seconds, Keith ended up on his back. The stranger flexes their shoulders and cracks their neck. 

“Well, that was my workout for today. Consider that a free show, on the house. Move it!”

“Dude! You got knocked the-” Lance shouted.

“Lance!” Shiro interjected, glaring at him like a disapproving dad.

“They’re getting away!” Allura yelled.

“Let’s follow them and keep our distance. They might harm the citizens if we get too close. When their guard is down, we’ll ambush them. This guy is well trained and might be a threat to us on top of the Galra.” Shiro instructed the team as they chased down the group. 

As the Paladins followed the stranger and their entourage through the concrete jungle, the winding streets made it near impossible to catch up with the criminals. Using the heat signature equipment in their helmet, they locked on the stranger's location. The stranger stopped in an alley, instructing the prisoners to move. 

“I can find my way from here boys, you’re dismissed.” The stranger shooed off the robotic soldiers with a wave of their hand. 

“OUR ORDERS IS TO DELIVER THE PRISONERS AND PROCEEDS TO GENERAL HUXUS. YOUR PRESENCE IS ALSO EXPECTED AS WELL.”

“I don’t think you understand what I said. I said, you. Are. Dismissed.”

“Pidge, can you lock on to that distress signal?” Shiro whispered.

“Yeah, just give me a sec to-what?” 

All of a sudden Pidge’s screen froze up. 

“What’s wrong?” Lance asked. 

“My systems just froze up. I can’t access the ship’s computer anymore. Something’s interfering with the signal.” Pidge tapped on her screen, trying to restart her systems. 

“She’s right. I can’t make contact with Coran.” Allura said.   
  
“Hey guys, I just heard something coming from over there.” Hunk pointed out and headed toward the noise. They stopped 10 meters behind a brick wall and viewed the scene before them. Scattered around the stranger are the remains of robotic soldiers. 

“Look it’s that mysterious dude in the hood, but I don’t see the prisoners.” Lance bent down and inspected the metal remains. 

“They must have delivered them to the Galra already. We’re too late.” Allura looked around the alleyway.

“Maybe not. We outnumber him 6 to 1 and we can take him down.” Keith whispered, holding up his bayard. 

“Oh please, just because you have strength in numbers doesn’t mean I don’t have the skills to take you down.” The stranger boasted confidently.

“There is no way he could hear us from over there.” Hunk shuttered in fear.

“It’s a bluff.” Keith countered.

“Not really. You saw how I put your face in the dirt, tough guy. I did it with my eyes closed. ” The stranger chuckled. 

“What should we do Shiro?” Allura asked. 

“Keith and I will draw their attention to give Pidge a chance to tie him up. Lance, Hunk, you will provide cover. Allura, you stay here in case something goes wrong. Head back to the Castle and try to call Coran again." Shiro instructed.

Keith and Shiro rushed first and tackled with the stranger. Pidge released a line and hogged tied the stranger up. 

"It's empty?!" Lance yelled, removing the hood. 

In the corner of her eye, Allura saw a shadow running down another alley. “Over there!” She took off running with the others following behind.

“Ugh, this cat and mouse game is getting annoy-Woah!” Lance yelled as he fell into a giant hole. “It’s a big hole!” Pidge yelled. “Oh my Lord Frederick…” Lance groaned, rubbing his head. 

"They must have disappeared in here. Hang on Lance. We’re coming down.” Shiro carefully climbed down the hole with the others behind him. As they travel down the hole, they could see a faint light coming from the end of the passageway. 

“I wonder what’s over there,” Pidge questioned. 

“Hopefully a way out of this creepy place with some food.” Hunk looked around frantically, twiddling his fingers to calm his nerves. 

CRUNCH

“D-D-Did you hear that?” Hunk jumped to the sound of the noise, aiming his cannon to the origin of the sound. 

A foot connected with Lance’s back, him knocking him into Keith. “Over there!” Pidge cried, launching her weapon at the threat in the darkness, but she was pulled off her feet and crashed into Hunk. 

Closing her eyes, Allura focused on the attacker’s movements in the darkness. When she heard the footsteps paused for an attack, she thrust her staff at the attacker, pinning them to the wall. 

“Gotcha!”

Using the light from her spacesuit, the light cut through the darkness and revealed who the stranger was.   
  
“No way...” Lance’s jaw dropped.

“I-It can be…” Pidge gasped.

“She’s human.” 


	2. Nightwalker

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy reading and stay safe!

It seemed like time stood still as the Paladins stared in shock of seeing another human being in front of them. Dark brown hair flowed down to her waist with an auburn ombré. Her chocolate irises were wide in a mixture in confusion and shock as she stared at the other humans and Altean in front of her. Freckles were sprinkled across her face and a small row of silver piercings decorated her right eyebrow.

“Holy crow…” Lance stepped to get a closer look.

Kicking herself back into reality, the girl kicked the Altean Princess off her and entered back into the darkness. “Wait, come back! We’re not going to hurt you!” Shiro called out, chasing after her with others close behind. 

“T-This doesn’t make any sense. I thought us, Matt, and my dad were the only humans out here!” Pidge contemplated, calculating the possibilities in her brain. “Maybe the Galra abducted her before we were sent out here. Let’s keep up to try to find some answers.” Shiro prodded.

The Paladins chased the strange girl through the darkness until they reached a bright tunnel. When they arrived, the kidnapped hid behind steel crates, some had children clinging to them in fear of the strangers in spacesuits. 

“Is this some kind of secret bunker?” Hunk looked around in the dark. 

A click followed by a humming noise filled the room. “Turn around. Slowly. ” A voice from behind them ordered. Following the instructions, they turned their lights to find the human girl pointing dual plasma guns at them with a cold look in her eyes. She donned a dark purple and black sleeveless top with a grey holster wrapping around her stomach. Ripped black pants tucked into laced up knee-high combat boots. A utility belt wrapped around her waist packed with gadgets and gizmos. 

“Who the quiznack are you?” The girl inquired.

“Who the quiznack are you?” Pidge answered back. 

“I asked you first.” 

“We’re the Paladins of Voltron,” Keith answered next.

“Well, I’m a Paladin of Voltron too.”

“You only said that because I said it!” Keith exclaimed. 

“Don’t tell me what I said!” 

“Why are you working for the Galra?” Shiro asked. 

“I’m not working for them, they’re working for me.” 

“Oh, you're going to do a lot better than that, pretty lady.” Lance aimed his blaster right at the human girl.

“I don’t have to do anything, Blue Boy. I’m the one with the guns.” 

“How about you lower those guns?” Hunk asked nervously, clutching his cannon.

“What is your relationship to the Galra?” Allura interrogated. 

“What’s yours?” 

“Are you in a relationship with anyone?" Lance queried with a raised eyebrow. 

“...Why?” 

“Because you are incredibly attractive,” Lance flirted shamelessly, “The name’s-”

“LANCE!” Pidge snapped.

Letting out a snort, the girl disengaged the weapons and retired them to their holsters at her side. She raised her hands in the air to show the intruders were no threat. “Come on out everyone. They cool. Make yourselves at home.” She offered before heading to a switch on the wall. Flipping it on, industrial lights illuminated cut away the darkness. 

Groups of aliens walked from the shadows with their guards down a bit but were still on edge. Inside the bunker, there were several makeshift tables, chairs, and beds. In a corner, cargo boxes filled with food, medical supplies, and blankets. Machine parts and tools were scattered on an industrial table where a blueprint of a Galran ship was spread out with markings.

Grabbing a first aid kit, the girl walked over to Palax and began to treat the injuries he endured from the robotic soldiers. “For a few phobes, General Huxus and his lackeys have been stationed on Nallock and have been slowly depriving these people of their wealth and property. I did some recon about his scamming operation to see what he’s up to.” She explained as she rubbed antiseptic on the cuts. 

“You hid all these people from the Galra to keep them safe?” Hunk questioned as he looked around at the refugees.

“These twisting alleyways serve as a line of defense as so few people can navigate them so well. Also, if the chrome domes get too close, I release an EMP to scramble their systems to keep them from finding this place.” The girl added, wrapping up a bandage. 

“Of course an electromagnetic pulse. That’s what was messing with our communications earlier.” Pidge exclaimed in realization. “If this is all true, where is all the money you stole was delivered to the Galra?” Allura asked with a sharp glare. 

Walking over to two piles of GAC, she picked up a coin from each pile and tossed them to Hunk. “One of those is a piece of GAC and the other is a counterfeit that I made. Take a nice big whiff, Big Guy.” 

Hunk sniffed the counterfeit and almost vomited from the pungent scent. “UGH! It smells like-”

“Snick dung. There's a nest nearby and I use their perfectly circular...ish to create counterfeits that I switch out with and deliver them to the Big Man." 

The girl walked over to the industrial table and glazed over the schematics of the ship. Leaning over the table, she placed some of her hair over her ear, revealing a row of silver piercings dangling on her lobes. “Now, the last time I was on Huxus’s ship I overheard him and an underling talking about planting a bomb on Nallock.” 

“A BOMB?!” The heroes shouted with horrified looks on their faces. 

“Typical of the Galra getting rid of this planet after leaching everything from these people. Are you certain?” Allura glared between the map and human.

“I heard some tinkering right below the commander center,” The girl pointed to a stop on the map, “this cargo bay here is where I heard the noises. In a few doboshes, I’m supposed to report back to General Fuzzboobs with his money so this my only chance I can make my move.” The girl unlocked a cabinet from behind her and evaluated her weapon gallery.

“Guns, knives, swords, grenades...smoke bombs...should I bring the missile launcher or nah?" She muttered under her breath. 

“There’s no way you can take on an entire Galra army by yourself!” Keith interjected her thoughts. “Duh, that’s why you’re here. You got my message right?” The girl questioned, grabbing a couple of knives.

“Message? Wait, so you’re the one who sent the distress signal?” Pidge pulled up her screen showing a frequency wave. “On my last drop, I downloaded Voltron’s readings from data sent by other Galra ships. When I saw you were in the area, I sent a distress signal to reel you in. So...TA-DA! The Paladins of Voltron are here!” The girl clapped slowly. 

“You expect us to help you take down the Galra after YOU helped them take money from all these innocent people? We refuse.” Allura snapped.  
“Allura!” Lance tried to calm her down, but she continued her scolding.

“Anyone who aligns themselves with the Galra is enemies to the universe as well. We cannot trust her, human, or anything else. She can clean up the mess she caused. We are leaving now and stop the Galra ourselves.” Allura added, walking out the bunker. 

“Excuse me Princess Pompous, but I wasn’t the one who planted the bomb nor I was the one who invaded the planet. So, if you want these people to die because of your decision then go ahead. I don’t need you. So sit back and enjoy watching these people become fireworks.” The girl scowled before grabbing the sack of counterfeit GAC and pushing past the Princess. 

“We should help her,” Shiro announced to the group.

“Shiro!” Allura protested. 

“If we don’t do something, Nallock and its people would become lost like so many we’ve seen. She’s gotten close to the Galra so she might have some info on Zarkon that we could use against him.” Shiro persuaded her. “We might also get answers about how she got out here. She might even have some clue where my brother and dad are.” Pidge added with a hint of hope in her voice. 

“If there is a bomb, we should evacuate the citizens don’t you think?” Hunk suggested.

“We might not have enough time. We can Coran can deliver the lions to us so we can POW POW POW form Voltron and kick some Galra booty.” Lance boasted confidently with a sparkly smile. “It’s too risky, Huxus could deploy the bomb before we could even get to the lions. We should follow her and drive the Galra of the planet first.” Shiro stressed in urgency.

“Shiro, what if this is a trap? What if she double-crosses us and takes Voltron right to Zarkon?” Keith asked with uncertainty about his friend's plan.

“Then we’ll take her down too. She might be human, but anyone who works with the Galra is a threat to the universe as well. Let’s catch up to her.” As they exited the bunker, the girl was standing there with a triumphant smile on her face. “Changed your mind?” 

“The Galra must have an impenetrable defense around the ship. How do you suggest we get in?” Shiro asked. “Easy, we’ll just walk through the front door. Now, I need to handcuff 2 volunteers, going once and only once.” 

Lance slowly raised his hand before Pidge slapped it down. 

“This is a terrible idea.” Allura groaned as they walked down a corridor leading to the captain's quarters. 

“Hootie hoo, General Fuzz- I mean Huxus.” The human greeted her boss. “Well if it isn't my little pet.” Huxus grinned before making a sour face at her, “you’re late.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. I was busy getting my hands dirty and I thought I would change. Ever heard of being fashionably late?” She pointed out, flipping her hair. “Enough with that smart mouth of yours. Where is my money?” Huxus demanded as he marched toward the smaller form. 

“Oh yeah, the money...the money...yeah I lost it.” As soon as those words slipped through her lips, a large clawed hand grabbed her by her neck and squeezed tightly. 

“YOU LOST IT?!”

“C-C-Calm your man...boobs. I...got you something better…” She gasped, motioned toward her two "prisoners". The Galra General’s eyes widened in shock as he took in the sight of the Red Paladin and the Princess. He released his grip dropping the girl on the ground.

“You captured the Red Paladin and the Princess?”

“Yeah, saw their ship land nearby, kicked their butts, and thought “Hey, let be nice to General Fuzzbutt for a change despite him being a giant pain in the butt.”

“What about the other Paladins?”

“They ran with their tails between their legs. So I have guards tracking them down as we speak. The Red Lion is in brought here as well with free shipping,” The girl said, rubbing her sore throat. A large hand gave several approving pats on top of her small head.

“Good girl. I will see to it that Emperor Zarkon rewards you with the highest honor among those of the Galra Empire, despite being a mere human. Now hand over them to me,” He held his hand out to receive the Paladins but the girl slapped his giant hand away. 

“Uh-huh! You didn’t put in on this, man. I did all the work so I will be taking them to Zarkon myself. What I want from you is my cut of the money I helped you steal.” The girl demanded, walking to his chair and sitting in it. 

“Hmm...how much are you talking?”

“How much do you have?”

WITH SHIRO PIDGE HUNK AND LANCE 

Shiro, Pidge, Hunk, and Lance rushed down the corridor leading to the room the girl showed them.

EARLIER

“Alright, Black, you take Green, Yellow, and Blue to where the bomb is located. There is a trash opening around the back. Around this time, the Galra would dump their trash for the night so you only have a couple of doboshes before it closes. Once you get in, head straight until you hit an elevator shaft. It’s a bit of a maze so open your ears for my directions: right, left, left, right, right, left, right. Once you get there, head down and the bomb should be there with a control panel.  
Meanwhile, Red, Princess, and I will meet up with my dear soon to be ex-boss and stall him as much as we can.” The girl explained as they stopped at the foothold of the Galra ship. 

“By that time, we would have disabled the bomb and headed to the castle. Coran should be in position with the Castle for extraction once everything is taken care of. Once we’re in the castle, we’ll get the Lions and form Voltron.”

“Then everyone will be free.

“Alright, we’re here. Pidge, can you-” Shiro started to ask but Pidge already had her holographic screen up hacking away.

“Already ahead of you, Shiro. This shouldn’t take me too long.” Pidge’s fingers tapped quickly on her computer.

“I should have gone with Allura. I don’t trust her with...Keith.” Lance vomited the Red Paladin's name bitterly. 

“We can’t mull over that now. We have to keep our focus to save these people from the Galra. So stay on alert." Shiro ordered as he kept an eye out for sentries. 

“Yeah besides, you just want to keep checking out the new girl…” Hunk sent a sassy side-eyed to his friend. “Oh, come on. Don’t tell me you weren’t checking her out.” Lance elbowed his ribs. 

“Yeah, I was checking...checking to make sure I was still alive. She was kind of scary.” Hunk shivered.

“If you girls are done chatting, the door is open.” Pidge sassed following their leader. They entered the cargo bay and found a large container with a control panel planted in front. Tapping on the controls, Pidge examined the diagram on the holographic screen. “Guys...the bomb’s a Robeast!” 

“Can you shut it down?” Lance asked as a drop of sweat rolled down his caramel face. 

“No, the controls were downloaded onto a separate device. It must be with…”

WITH KEITH AND ALLURA  
ve  
“The Galra General has the controls to a Robeast bomb!” Pidge yelled in Keith’s intercom. 

“How about 60/40?” Huxus offered. The girl thought for a moment and nodded her head in agreement. “Then we have a deal then."

As they reached out to shake hands, Keith and Allura rushed and tackled the giant to the ground. “W-WHY YOU LITTLE…!” Huxus growled furiously on the ground. His eyes picked up on a glint of his former associate's sword pointed at his neck.

“Shut down the bomb and I’ll PROBABLY let you live.” 

Huxus’s face twisted from a vehement on to a disturbing grin on his face. A hearty laugh escaped from his throat as the room began to shake. 

“What’s going on?” Keith asked, trying to keep a grip on the buff General.

A holographic screen popped up showing the bottom of the ship exploding. Through the smoke, the Robeast floated out of the ship and flew over the surface of the planet. Lasers sprayed from openings all over its body and began destroying everything it touches. A clock on its chest counted down from 15 doboshes to the annihilation of the planet. 

“It’s going to destroy everything!” Allura cried out.

“Guys! We made it to the Lions! We’ll try to slow it down so you have time to escape!” Shiro yelled as he used the Black Lions laser on the Robeast. Green, Yellow, and Blue followed behind him providing him cover fire. 

Huxus let out a roar and threw the Paladin and Princess into his former associate knocking her into the wall. “See? I knew you would try to double-cross me, child, so I went ahead and set off the bomb. Soon, blood will be on your hands as my creation takes the life of every man, woman, and child on this planet.” Huxus laughed and escaped through a hatch that opened on the ground. 

“He’s getting away!” Keith yelled as he tried to open up the hatch with his sword. “No time! We have to get out of here!” Allura yelled as the ship’s started to descend. 

Slicing away part of the hull, the girl created an opening, the wind blowing “Listen to me, on the count of 3, we all jump out of the ship.” The girl instructed, staring down at the clouds.

Keith and Allura looked at her like she grew 20 heads.“Are you insane? We’re thousands of feet high in the air!” Keith screamed.

“Just shut up and trust me, alright?!” The girl yelled, her eyes full of desperation. Keith and Allura looked at each other and inched closer to the opening. Closing her eyes to concentrate, the girl began to count down, “Three...two…”

“One!” 

Within a tick, they jumped from the burning ship and began to free fall in the air. “I knew we shouldn’t have-!” Allura protested.

“Wait for it!” 

Suddenly, the Blue Lion appeared grabbing the trio and they entered the cockpit. “Nice of you all to drop by.” Lance winked at his new passengers. 

“I was going to say “good job, Lance,” until you open your mouth,” Keith smirked at his so-called rival.

“Suck it, Mullet. I’m taking Keith, Allura, and my future girlfriend to the Castle.” Lance informed the group as they were keeping the monster busy. 

Once they got to the Castle, Keith and the girl headed to the Red Lion hanger. “What are you-”

“I’m coming with you.” The girl pushed past him but he grabbed her shoulder to stop her from heading further.

“No way, it’s too dangerous.”

“If these people died because of me, I would not be able to live with myself. I will even get on my knees and BEG for you to take me with you.” 

As Keith’s blue-violet orbs stared into her watery chocolate ones, he could see the despair and urgency of her need to save the planet. “Keith! Any day now!” Hunk shouted from the intercom. 

“Make sure you hang on tight,” He warned and she nodded, “On my way!” 

Once the Red Lion was out of the Castle, it convened on with its other multicolored counterparts. “This thing is not going down without a fight. We only got five doboshes before it blows!” Pidge warned. 

“Alright Team, time to form Voltron!” Shiro ordered.

*INSERT FLASHY TRANSFORMATION SEQUENCE*

“Woah…”

“Wow, you’re speechless. That’s a first.” Keith quipped as the girl rolled her eyes and lets out a small laugh. 

“Just shut up and fight, Red.” 

Voltron battled against the Robeast but struggled as its defenses proved to be impenetrable. The sword proved to be useless against its tough armor and the shield struggled to defend from its relentless attacks. 

As it bombarded Voltron with a combination of lasers and physical attacks, Keith's copilot took note of something odd. “Hey, there’s a cable connecting the bomb to its power source! Try aiming there!” She suggested. 

“Are you sure?”

“I’m 1000% certain. Trust me.” She gave him a determined look and Keith nodded. 

“Shiro, you got all that?” The Red Paladin called. 

“Let’s go for it! Legs, we need a boost!” 

“You got it!” Hunk and Lance answered. 

“We only have one minute left!” Pidge urged. 

In a flash, Voltron escaped the clutches of the monster and reforged the sword. Cutting the cable, the countdown stopped showing 1 tick was left before the desolation of Nallock.

The Paladins cheered victoriously exchanging compliments for each other’s hard work. Keith looked back at his copilot. “Good work.”

She flashed him a small smile. “Thanks for trusting me.”

NALLOCK 

Once they landed on the planet’s surface, all the GAC that was taken from the citizens were returned. The Paladins’ new ally had memorized how much money she took from each citizen and made sure everyone got their investments back. The news of the liberation of Nallock brought old and new visitors back to the planet, reviving the economy. They headed back to the Castle of Lions to get ready to set off for another astronomical adventure. 

“Well my dearest, it is time for us to take off into the stars. But please, don’t cry. I've got to move on now and be who I am. I just don't belong here, I hope you understand. We might find our place in this world someday, but at least for now, I gotta go my own way.” Lance dramatically serenaded to the annoyed girl as he held her shaking hands. 

“I know you did just not quote High Musical 2!” Hunk looked at the Blue Paladin in disbelief.

"Shut your quiznack, Hunk!"

“...Can someone please get him before I send him to the moon?” The girl pleaded through the grit of her teeth. Grabbing Lance by the ear with his metal arm, Shiro dragged his son away.

“I’m sorry about him, he’s...special.” Keith jabbed. 

“HEY!” 

“So what are you going to do now?”

“Since the data on Huxus’s ship is destroyed, I’m forced to hunt down Zarkon the old fashioned way. Then once I find him, I'm taking him down.”  
The girl sighed in frustration as she thought about the endless travel through the stars.

“I have an idea, why don’t you come with us?” Hunk suggested, but the girl backed away in apprehension. Her gaze landed on the ground. “I…”

“NO!” Allura boomed from the entrance of the Castle of Lions. “Don’t forget she was the one who helped the Galra conquer this planet in the first place. She took all of these people’s money and left them to starve to death .” She pointed out to the group. 

“Allura!” Lance interjected but a hand stopped him from speaking out. “No it’s fine she’s right. If I had stopped Huxus when I had the chance, this would not happen. I should just leave. I catch you guys later.” The girl started to walk away, but Pidge grabbed her arm.

“Wait a minute, if it wasn’t for her we would not have known the monster’s weakness,” Pidge added. Shiro walked over to the persistent Princess and whispered in her pointed ear. “Don’t forget she sheltered and cared for those the Galra hunted down for their revenue. If she wanted to turn them in, she would have done so and we would not be standing here right now. I say, she’s worthy of joining us.” Shiro explained.

Allura loomed down on the human girl and listened to the pleas of her teammates before turning back into the Castle. “Fine, but if anything happens and we find out it was here. I will not hesitate to abandon her on the nearest gas planet.” She growled before returning into the Castle to ready the teleduv. 

“Come on, uh...I just realized we don’t know your name.” Shiro let out a small chuckle. 

“Oh, it’s Nightwalker. Elenora Nightwalker. You can just call me El for short.” El introduced herself before being picked up by Hunk. “Welcome to the team, El. You’re one of us now.” Pidge declared as she and Hunk carried their new friend chanting, “One of us, one of us.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>   
> Above is Elenora Nightwalker created by rinmarugames. The game and it artwork belong to her, not me.  
> This is her website so have fun checking it out:  
> http://www.rinmarugames.com/playgame.php?game_link=mega-fantasy-avatar-creator


	3. An Unlikely Ally

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Going over Shiro's dream, the Paladins of Voltron follow the coordinates in Shiro's arm to find the person who rescued him, however they find out his savior is a Galra.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy and stay safe out there! Be sure to wear mask when you go out and wash your hands! Thanks for reading :)

After the incident on Nallock and gaining a new ally, the Paladins of Voltron were back traveling through the stars looking for Emperor Zarkon. El was in the process of settling into her new room in the Castle of Lions and was in the process of unpacking her belongings. As she was filling her drawers with her clothes, Hunk was bringing in the last of her belongings. Her dual-color hair was in a high ponytail. She wore a white shirt tucked into black baggy cargo pants and combat boots.

“I thought you said you didn’t have much.” Hunk huffed, placing a large bag and box on the ground. She opened the box showing it filled with books in various alien languages. “Well, I thank you for your service, kind sir.” She smiled organizing the books on the dresser. “I would never take you for a reader. You understand all this?” Hunk eyed the gallery of books before picking up a leather journal with flowers growing around the borders. A large tree was planted in the middle of the cover with butterflies flying around it. A golden dragonfly lock secured the contents of the journal.

“Hey, what’s this one about?”

Looking over to see what book he was talking about, her eyes narrowed at the sight of the book in his hands. She quickly got up and snatched the diary out of his hand. “Don’t touch that!” The Yellow Paladin flinched at the volume and tone of her voice. Her brown orbs softened after placing the journal gently on the nightstand with the other books. “I’m so sorry Hunk, I didn’t mean to yell at you.”

“No, it was my fault. I shouldn't have touched your stuff without permission.” Hunk gave her an apologetic look as he twiddled his fingers nervously. “No, I shouldn’t have snapped at you like that.” Her fingers gently graced over the cover tracing the floral border, “This was my mother’s.”

“Oh um...so where is your mom? I mean, do you have any family?” 

Her lips parted to answer but Keith appeared in her doorway. “Guys, urgent meeting right now. Shiro wants to show us something that he remembered when he was captured by the Galra.” 

Giving each other a look, they followed the Red Paladin to where the others were gathered. Shiro’s metal arm was connected to a computer with Pidge searching through a sea of encrypted data. 

“What’s going on?” Hunk asked, joining the huddle. “Remember the dream I had in the healing pod about the Galra who helped me escape from Zarkon? I think there are some coordinates implanted in my arm about his location.” Shiro informed the newcomers.

“And you are certain it was one of them? You know they cannot be trusted.” Allura argued with hostility in her voice. 

“Well, your father must have trusted them one time. Zarkon was the original Black Paladin, was he not?” All eyes were on Allura as Shiro’s words rang in their ears. Lance turned to Allura with a look of disbelief. “Hold on what?” 

“Didn’t you see how Zarkon stole the Black Lion from under Shiro’s control? He also had the black bayard, Shiro’s bayard.” Keith pointed out while keeping his gaze on the Altean Princess.

“Why didn’t you tell us about Zarkon before?”

Allura lowered her eyes to avoid Shiro’s chastising ones. “That was a long time ago. I wanted to protect you from the dark history of the Paladins so you can properly bond with your Lions on your own,” she looked at Shiro with certainty, “Today, you are the Black Paladin, not Zarkon.” 

“Yeah well, I don’t think the Black Lion shares the same sentiments.” Shiro’s dark grey eyes hardened. Pidge’s computer beeped, pulling up a map of a star system on a large holographic screen. “Looks like you were right, Shiro. There were coordinates hidden in your arm and they led here: Thaldycon system.”

“Hold on, are you sure?” El inspected the coordinates on the computer. “Yeah, I’m positive. My deception is solid, is there something wrong?” Pidge questioned. 

“The last time I was out that way there was nothing but space and Xanthorium crystals. I didn’t see anything unusual as far as I know.” 

“Should we still check it out?”

“Yes,” Shiro confirmed. 

“Wait for a second, Shiro. Are you sure that you can trust the Galra even with everything they did to you? Don't forget that they took your arm.” Keith pointed out.

“I know for sure that the person who saved me was Galra. I am willing to take the risk to find other allies, even if they are from Zarkon’s side. It might give us the edge that we need to win this war.” 

“I can set a course but I do not like this,” Allura warned as she headed to activate the teleduv.

THALDYCON SYSTEM 

The wormhole transported the Castle of Lions to a large belt of Xanthorium crystals. “El was right, there’s nothing out here but these giant crystal clusters.” Hunk examined the landscape.

“Coran, can you bring the ship any closer?” Shiro asked the Altean.

“That might not be such a good idea. These Xanthorium crystals contain unstable nitrate salts. One tiny bump can cause it to explode.” Coran explained. 

“There, we checked it out. Let’s move on.” Allura hurried as she prepared the wormhole to travel. “I know there’s something more here. Let’s sit and wait for a while then we can move on.” Shiro instructed with the hope that his dream was not wrong.

Several vargas (hours) passed as they waited for anything out of the ordinary. As Coran watched the monitors for any activity outside, El’s ears picked up on some movement at the bellows of the ships. “I think there’s someone on board.” 

“Impossible! If that were the case, then the Castle would have-”

Coran’s words were cut short as flashing red lights and sirens yelling that there was an intruder on the ground. “I knew coming here was a mistake.” Allura tapped on the screens to pull up the surveillance footage to find the trespasser. A figure ran down a corridor. “He’s on level 5!” 

ELENORA’S POV

As the guys made a quick wardrobe change, my task was to entertain our new guest. I tiptoed down the hall with my twin blasters in my hand with my eyes, ears, and nose were on high alert. As I rounded the corner, I could see the back of a tall, hooded figure at the end of the hall.

Slowing down my breathing, I approached him with my senses sharpened. He was pretty tall and was dressed in a black spacesuit with a hood over his head. On his back, a black sword with glowing purple accents was attached. Cocking the gun to charge a shot, I aimed the guns at his back. “If you want to live, I suggest surrendering now to save us the clean up later.” 

Slowly, his body shifted turning towards my direction to show his face...

THUMP THUMP THUMP

LANCE’S POV

As soon as I got suited up, Coran yelled that El was in trouble. I rounded the corner to find a tall creepy guy looking down on her as she was breathing heavily against the wall. He reached out to touch her but I transformed my bayard into my trusty sharpshooter.

“Hold it right there!” 

Mr. Tall, Dark, and Creepy stared at me before running in my direction. He dodged the shots I fired before running down another hall. "Careful, he's faster than an angry klanmüirll and can jump like a sprightly globinheffer!" Coran yelled like a sports announcer from the PA system. "Coran, you're not helping!" 

El was slouched against the wall clutching her throat as uneven, labored breaths escaped from it. “El, what’s wrong?” I bent down next to her to make sure she wasn’t hurt. She turned away from me hiding her face in her hair. Her hand moved from her throat to hold her right arm. 

“I-I got cut pretty bad. I’ll...I’ll be fine. Go after him.” She managed to say in between breaths. “...Are you sure? You’re shaking like crazy.” I touched her shaking shoulder but she quickly pulled away.

“Go, Lance!” I flinched when she raised her voice at me. I stood up reluctantly to chase after the intruder. 

NORMAL POV

"Coming your way, Pidge!" Coran alerted.

The intruder stumbled around a corner, flipping over the Green Paladin. Pidge launched her grappling cable only for the intruder to catch it. Before she could celebrate, the infiltrator started to drag her around like a dog on a leash.

They passed by a hallway startling Hunk as he let out a few shots from his cannon almost hitting his teammates. 

"Hunk!"

"Oops sorry!" Hunk stopped firing and jogged after them. 

"Welp, Hunk failed the team guys! No surprise there. " Coran announced.

"Hey!"

"It's all up to Keith now!"

Keith stood in an empty corridor bayard in hand, waiting for the cavalry to come. Speeding around the corner, the infiltrator rushes at the Red Paladin. Keith took a swing with his sword at the intruder but they dodged it. He shot a look to Pidge and she nodded. Digging her heels into the floor, she halted the infiltrator movement allowing Keith another attack.

In a flash, the infiltrator pulled out a blade blocking Keith's attack. His blue-gray orbs lock on to a strange symbol inscribed on the blade. It looked like the Galra symbol sliced in half. His lack of focus gave the infiltrator an opening to knock Keith's bayard out of his hand. The Red Paladin went in for a punch but the stranger pulled on the Green Paladin’s line throwing her into him.

Getting back on his feet, Keith goes for another swing but the infiltrator grabs him by the elbow and throws him into Hunk and Lance’s arms. 

Behind him, the intruder took notice of Shiro's presence and the two were locked in a stalemate. Shiro's glowing metal arm and the intruder's sword were inches away from each other. Slowly, the intruder recoiled to remove his hood. His electronic mask powered down revealing a Galran with ashy purple skin and sharp yellow eyes. 

Shiro took a step back in shock recognizing the very same face that saved him.

"Ulaz?"

Out of nowhere, Princess Allura slammed Ulaz against the wall with a face full of rage. "Who are you and what are you doing on my ship?" She questioned.

"Stop! It's him! This is the Galra who set me free." 

Ulaz looked at the Paladins calmly.

“...You have come.”

“This is unnecessary.” The team was gathered around a restrained Ulaz sitting in the lounge area of the ship. His hands and feet were tied together to prevent any escape or sudden attack. “I will not have some quiznacking Galra wandering around the bridge of my ship.” Allura hissed, glaring down at their prisoner.

Ulaz’s golden eyes were locked on the handcuffs as he spoke. “If I wanted to kill you, you would be dead already.” Allura gave him a look that could kill while inching closer to the Galra. “You think your Galra threats are supposed to scare me?”

Lance looked at her a bit frightened from her aggressive tone. “Allura...”

"I'm not here to win your trust. I'm here to win a war,” Ulaz countered as he looked at the Black Paladin, “Because of Shiro, we are closer than we've ever been. Our gamble on you has paid off better than we could have ever imagined."

"When you released me, you also mentioned that others were working with you." Shiro looked at him curiously. "Yes, we are called the Blade of Marmora," Ulaz informed. "Uh, others? Are they here and look like you?" Hunk asked, a bit frightened. Before Ulaz answered, he closed his eyes."...No, I am the only one out here on this base." 

"What is this base you are talking about? The coordinates Shiro gave lead us straight to this wasteland." Allura pointed out. "The base is hidden behind a pocket of space-time. Now that Shiro has come to our outpost, you are welcome to enter. Just fly into the center of the Xanthorium crystals."

The Princess turned her head toward the ceiling. "Coran, are you hearing this nonsense?" Allura called out through the PA system. "I am picking up some kind of anomaly on the screen. I suppose it could be a cloaked base." He answered.

Shiro gave a desperate look to the group. "We came here to find answers. It's too late to turn back now." 

"Shiro, you know I trust you but this doesn't feel right." Keith gave the Black Paladin a vague look debating the authenticity of Ulaz’s information. 

"Keith's right. The Galra might have implanted false memories in your brain." Pidge hypothesized.

"Oh, come on, that would be so evil, which, of course, they are. But they'd have to come up with some molecular level storage unit, which his hand does have. But, to be linked up to memory, it would need a direct pathway to his brain, in which...oh yeah." Hunk

Shiro looked Allura directly in the eye. "Without Ulaz, we wouldn't be here. We have to trust him."The Princess closed her eyes to give herself a moment to think before looking at Shiro. 

“...Coran, guide the ship slow and steady into the Xanthorium clusters.”

“Yes, Princess.” The Space Butler guided the Castle into the Xanthorium field. 

As the ship traveled through the corridor, space and time folded upon each other. It delivered the Paladins to the Mamoran base hidden in a pocket of space-time. 

"Welcome to the Blade of Marmora Communications Base Thaldycon. Now, if you'll free me, I need to send a message to the leadership to let them know I've made contact with Voltron." Ulaz stood up.

Allura turned to the others with a sharp look. "Go and keep an eye on him," Allura ordered as she kept hers on the Galra. "You guys go ahead. I'll stay here to protect the princess~" Lance announced with his chest puffed out proudly. Allura let out a groan of disgust while rolling her eyes.  
Shiro and Keith escorted Ulaz to the Lions while Pidge and Hunk followed behind them, nerding out between how the space pocket works and the possibility of food on the base. 

Tuning out Lance’s advancements, the Princess looked around the lounge with a slightly suspicious look. “Lance, where is El?”

“She might be in the infirmary getting patched up. She said she had a small scratch but…”  
Lance paused to think about the earlier encounter. 

“But what?”

“She didn’t look so good. She was shaking like a leaf while holding her throat. It was like she couldn’t breathe and she felt really cold.” Lance looked at his gloved hand, remembering the freezing touch. 

“Really…?”

“Allura...you should give her a chance.”

“Lance, I understand that you trust her because she is one of your kind. However, I do not agree with her actions that happened on Nallock by working with the Galra. As I said before, those who ally themselves with the Galra are enemies to us as well.” Allura walked away to fix herself to the teleduv.

Due to its superior speed, the four paladins along with Ulaz rode in the Red Lion to the Mamora base. "This is the gravity generator that creates the space-time fold that hides the station. It was created by a genius engineer named Slav,” Ulaz explained, “His technology allows the Blade of Marmora to remain hidden while we work to take down the Galra Empire. Zarkon would do anything to get his hands on this technology."

"There are Galra out there that aren't loyal to Zarkon?" Keith asked as he parked the Red Lion on the ship. They boarded the ship and followed the Mamora agent to the head of the base. 

"We thought expanding the Galra Empire would bring stability. We soon learned that a tyrant does not seek stability, only power and blood,” Ulaz tapped on a panel showing a diagram of Zarkon’s command ship, “with our members working on the inside, planning coordinated attacks with Voltron, we may finally have a chance." 

Hunk looked at the screen and back at the Galra. “So you have people planted within Zarkon’s ranks?” Ulaz tore away from the screen to face the Paladins. “How do you think you got away from that last battle with Zarkon’s command center? Do you think those shields deactivated on their own? We have people risking THEIR LIVES to win this war.” 

“If you have people on the inside, do you think you can tell me where my family is? They were taken at the same time Shiro was.” Pidge asked with a sense of hope in her voice.

“I can pull some Galra prisoner records and send them to your ship if you like.”

A set of curious blue-grey orbs locked on the weapon on Ulaz's back. "What's that weapon you carry?" Keith asked curiously. Ulaz removes the blade and shows it to him. "It is a ceremonial blade each member of our order carries." He explained.

“Hm... nice.” 

Suddenly, flashing red lights and alarms yelled about an approaching threat. A screen appeared showing a Robeast approaching the field of Xanthorium crystals. "You were tracked!" Ulaz glared sharply at the group. “If Zarkon knew that we were here, it was because YOU ratted us out!” Keith countered.

“We don’t have time for this. Let’s head back to the Red Lion!” Shiro 

“Shiro wait,” Ulaz pulled a USB and handed it to Shiro, “these are instructions for the Blade of Mamora base. Before you head there, find out how Zarkon is tracking you. If he finds it, all the work our underground network spent centuries will be lost. And tell...” Ulaz paused. 

“Tell what?”

“...Nothing. Just go!” 

Back at the Castle Allura, Lance and Coran scrambled to figure out the oncoming threat. “I KNEW he couldn’t be trusted!” Allura shouted as she prepared the Castle’s defenses. 

“It wasn’t him!” Shiro defended. 

“How can you be so sure?”

“That doesn’t matter now, what matters is what we do next!” Coran shouted as he stared at the Robeast speeding toward the Xanthorium crystal field. 

“We can just hide in the space taco until it goes away.” Hunk suggested. 

“Everyone get to your Lions but do not disembark. Let's see what this thing does first. I do not want to engage in an unnecessary fight.” Shiro instructed the Paladins.

“In the meantime, we should be safe behind the space pocket,” Pidge reassured.

Once the Red Lion landed back into the ship, the Paladins went to their assigned Lions to wait what this new Robeast does. Opening its large mouth, a tractor beam pulled in the Xanthorium clusters into the Robeast. It processed the material to unleash a powerful red laser detonating every crystal in its path. 

“I think it knows we’re here…” Hunk shivered in the Yellow Lion.

“Hold…” Shiro instructed. 

Unleashing a second laser, it blessed in the direction where the ship was. “We just took a direct hit! It knows we’re here!” Coran shouted.

“What is going on?!” El asked as she rushed into the room with a bandage on her right arm. 

“Zarkon sent a new Robeast and it's on the other side of the space pocket. I need to get the particle barrier up! El, can you monitor the Castle’s defenses?” Coran pressed on the controls frantically. 

“On it!” 

The particle barrier materialized around the Castle just as the Out of fuel, the Robeast opened its mouth to retrieve more ammunition. Along with the clusters, the machine was pulling in the Castle of Lions. 

“It’s pulling us in!” El yelled. Disengaging the Lions, the Paladins formed Voltron and escaped the space-time pocket to land a punch on their opponent.

Suddenly, the pocket disappeared around the Castle of Lions exposing it to the enemy. A ship zoomed past them. “Well there goes Ulaz,” Coran called out at the Galra’s escapade. 

“I knew we should never trust a Galra,” Allura muttered under her breath as she gave a dirty look at the ship. 

Despite the abandonment of their new ally, Voltron continued to fight the ravaged Robeast. The Red and Green lion fired two powerful lasers only to not affect the Robeast. Opening its mouth for another meal, the monster absorbed more crystals for another devastating attack along with the Castle of Lions again. 

It's going for the Castle again!" Keith shouted.

"We need some way to stop that tractor beam!" Pidge called.

"I've got an idea. Pidge, form shield! We can use it to block the beam!" Shiro ordered. Forming the shield, Voltron rushed at the monster and stuffed the shield into the monster's mouth.

"We stopped the beam. Now, what?" Keith asked.

"We can use the Xanthorium clusters!" Pidge said. Pushing against the shield, Voltron accelerated pushing the Robeast into an enormous cluster. Due to the unstable nitrate salts, an immense explosion was triggered and the Paladins let out celebratory cheers. 

"Well we're done here, let's go home. I'm sure Allura has a kiss waiting for me~!" Lance gloated with a twinkle in his eye. Before the paladins could roll their eyes and vomit, a tractor beam surrounded them pulling them toward them to the monster. "This thing's indestructible!" Hunk grunted, trying to escape the beam's grasp.

"Perhaps I can help!" A familiar voice called through the intercom system. Speeding towards them, the Galra aimed his ship at the center of the monster's large mouth. “Is he…?” El gasped. 

"I'm going to take it down from the inside using the space-pocket!" Ulaz shouted.

“N-No Ulaz, you can’t!” Shiro protested.

"Voltron is too important to lose now. Without you, the universe will fall to Zarkon and everyone will perish. Your journey is just beginning. This is where mine ends. Go now!"

ULAZ POV 

I could feel the adrenaline pumping through my veins. My heart palpitated against my sternum as I drew closer to the enemy. My ears grew numb to the protests of the Paladins of my onslaught. A frightening sheet of cold cocooned around my body as a collection of memories washed over my mind. I remembered first joining the Blade of Marmora to sign my life to end this bloody war. I remember receiving my ceremonial blade and awaking it during the Trials of Marmora. The faces of those I created friendships with and those I lost to this war. 

I reminisce that a particular day when a small light was born. It was small yet bright that grew over time. It could illuminate through any darkness. However, it struggled with what seems an eternal conflict with its darkness. 

A small, yet peaceful smile tickled the corners of my lips. I can go in peace now knowing that I saw that light once again. My heart longs for this light to conquer its darkness to reignite to its former brilliance. For now, a new light forged my path toward a life without seeing violence or bloodshed. 

My old friends, please guide me a safe passage to the stars where you are...  
NORMAL POV

Opening the space pocket, the monster began to collapse in itself until there was nothing left. "Ulaz...he's gone," Shiro said in disbelief.

Back on the Castle of Lions, Shiro stood at the bridge of the ship staring at the black void of space. In his hands held Ulaz’s ceremonial knife glimmering in the starlight. He found it on his person after coming back to the Castle. He figured the Galra gave it to him as a memento for his sacrifice. Keith stood behind him thinking of what he should say to comfort him. He walked up next to him to place a comforting hand on his shoulder. "We're sorry not to trust Ulaz, Shiro. You were right about him."

"I still have so many unanswered questions." Shiro kept his eyes on the view in front of him. "Do you think Zarkon is tracking us?" Keith asked.

"We cannot know for certain. However, I don’t think Ulaz was the only one who knew our whereabouts." Allura walked into the room with El behind her. Keith and Shiro looked at her curiously. The Princess glanced at the human girl’s injured arm.

“Let me see your arm.” The human girl raised her eyebrows in alarm. “For what reason?”

“What’s going on?” Keith asked. 

“I need to account for your time after Ulaz was captured. Lance told me you were injured and went to the infirmary. All that time you were gone you could have contacted Zarkon about our whereabouts.” Allura 

“You think I contacted Zarkon to bring a Robeast here while endangering myself in the process? You are just trying to make up for your own screw up for not telling us about the Black Lion and Zarkon.” The human girl stepped closer to Allura almost touching noses. Shiro stepped in between the two girls to prevent any physical conflict. “El, just let her see your arm.”

El huffed an exasperated chuckle before removing the bandage. A large jagged gash ran across her forearm with some blood seeping from it. “There, happy? I went to the infirmary and took a nap because I had a migraine. That’s my alibi, officer.” 

“Think about this, if Ulaz told Zarkon where we are, why would he sacrifice himself for us? That just proves that not all Galra are aligned with Zarkon.” Keith

Allura’s blue irises dropped to the ground to avoid “It's clear the loss of Ulaz has caused you great concern, but, regardless of how Zarkon located us, it is not safe to stay here longer.” She exited the room. 

“We should meet up with the rest of Ulaz’s group and finish off Zarkon,” Keith said with urgency in his voice.

“No, we can't go anywhere until we find out how Zarkon is tracking us. We regroup, recover, and plan our next move carefully." Shiro instructed. 

ELENORA POV

“Engage training sequence level 20,” I ordered the training computer as another Gladiator fell before my feet. My nerves were shot after the little interrogation with Princess Pompous. I thought doing a couple of rounds would calm my temper but it only grew after each passing level. How can someone be so blind to think every individual is part of the same group? Does she think every single Galra is evil? Then again...if she thinks like that then all of them feel that way. Maybe...I shouldn’t- 

You are such a great liar…

Shut up.

I could feel my pounding heart catapulting to my trachea. 

You know they are going to find out eventually.

Shut Up.

My brain feels like someone is banging it with a hammer. There is a tight knot in my stomach. 

And once they do...

SHUT UP

They would lock you away like before...

“SHUT UP!” I screamed, hurling the knife at the Gladiator’s head. 

SHIRO POV

After debriefing with Keith and the others about today’s events, I went to find El to make sure she was OK from Allura’s interrogation. I can understand where Allura’s anger was coming from. Losing your entire planet and everyone you love is a heavyweight on anyone’s heart. Though seeing the Ulaz’s sacrifice proves that not all Galra do not serve Zarkon and shares his ideology for power. I dwell with the possibility of Zarkon using the Black Lion to track us down. That means I would have to strengthen my connection with it to counteract his or else we will lose ⅕ of Voltron. That cannot happen. 

I was so deep in thought when I entered the training deck, I didn’t see the Gladiator flying past me with a knife logged in its robotic skull. El was on the floor hyperventilating with her hands gripping her head. Her trembling body was covered in a layer of sweat. A panic attack. I ran over to her and placed my hands on her shoulders.

“El, it’s me, Shiro. I need you to count to 10 while breathing in and out.” I demonstrated first by breathing in and out in 10-second intervals. I figured she heard me as she stopped shaking and her breathing was under control. Her head slowly lifted to lock her eyes with mine. She was in shock but she was regaining her sense of reality. “W-W-What happened?”

“I think you were having a panic attack,” I answered calmly before her face twisted in confusion.

“A what?”

“It’s when you suddenly feel something bad is going to happen or there is no real danger or apparent cause. You can feel your heart pounding, you can’t breathe, and you may feel like you’re dying or going crazy.” Her eyes locked on my hands still placed on her shoulders and quickly pulled herself away. 

She brushed past me to retrieve her knife from the Gladiator. She eyed the knife carefully before placing it on her belt. “If I may ask, is this the first time you had a panic attack?” Her answer was a slow head shake. “They first started when I was about 6 or 7. I don’t remember exactly when the first one happened but they happen every once in a while,” She gave me a weak smile,  
“Don’t worry about it Shiro, I’ll get over it.” 

Before she exited the training room, I gently grabbed her shoulder to turn her to face me. “El, you can’t get over this like it's the cold or flu. It could happen once or a thousand times. I know a fair share of people who at least had one panic attack. Though I am not a licensed therapist, you can come to me anytime.”

A flash of uncertainty washed over her features before pulling away from my touch. “I’ll think about it.” She muttered before exiting the training room. A part of me hopes she does think about it but another is doubtful.

KEITH POV  
That knife...that symbol. I couldn’t get it out of my mind. As soon as Shiro debriefed us, I headed to my room to rest as he ordered us to. I grabbed my knife from underneath my pillow. I unwrapped the gauze covering the symbol. The answer to my many questions is out here and it’s only a matter of time until I find them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you or anyone you know suffer from panic attacks, you can research these links below to find information on what panic attacks are and how to help yourself or someone else to get through them! 
> 
> https://www.mentalhelp.net/anxiety/panic-attack-hotline/#:~:text=If%20you%20are%20having%20a,best%20resource%20for%20immediate%20help.  
> https://www.healthlinkbc.ca/health-topics/hw53602  
> https://www.webmd.com/anxiety-panic/panic-attack-how-to-help#2  
> https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/panic-attacks/symptoms-causes/syc-20376021

**Author's Note:**

> Since the end of the world is happening, I might as well be productive. Thanks for reading and stay safe!


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